Matilda Murray

The Matilda Murray was a flame-thrower tank produced in Australian that arrived too late to see service in the Second World War.

The Australians produced a number of variants on the basic A12 Matilda Infantry Tank Mk II, under the general codename 'Circus Equipment'. The most successful of these was the Matilda Frog flamethrower tank. The flamethrower and 80 gallons of special fuel was carried in the turret, with spare fuel dotted around the tank. The flame jet was powered by gas pressure, and the biggest flaw with the Frog was the 20 seconds gap caused by the need to build up pressure.

The Matilda Murray was produced to overcome this problem. The gas pressure device was replaced with cordite charges, which eliminated the gap between bursts. The turret tank was also enlarged, allowing it to carry 130 gallons, enough for thirteen bursts.

The Matilda Frog saw some combat in Borneo late in the Second World War, but the Matilda Murray arrived too late to see active service.